The Alerting Authority
The Alerting Authority is a podcast dedicated to improving how we warn the public when seconds matter. Hosted by Jeanette Sutton, a leading researcher in public alerts and warnings, and Eddie Bertola, an expert in emergency communications technology, the show brings together practitioners, policymakers, technologists, and thought leaders shaping the future of public alerting.
Each episode dives deep into real-world challenges behind creating, issuing, and delivering life-saving alerts. From Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to IPAWS implementation, crisis messaging, public behavior, and alerting policy, the hosts explore what works, what fails, and why.
Rather than focusing solely on tools or software, The Alerting Authority examines the “human side” of emergency communication—decision-making under pressure, message design, training gaps, coordination across agencies, and the psychology of how people interpret warnings.
The podcast aims to empower emergency managers, communicators, and public safety professionals with actionable insights, practical guidance, and candid conversations with the people who have shaped, studied, and experienced alerting at every level.
Whether you’re responsible for issuing alerts, designing systems, researching risk communication, or simply interested in how warnings save lives, The Alerting Authority is your go-to source for understanding and improving public alerting in a complex and rapidly evolving world.
Episodes
48 episodes
Why People Ignore Emergency Warnings — Even When They Understand Them
Why do people make the wrong decision during an emergency — even when they understand the warning?On this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola are joined by disaster scholar Dr. DeeDee Bennett Gayle to ex...
Why We Keep Making the Same Mistakes After Weather Disasters
What happens after a devastating weather disaster — and who makes sure we actually learn from it?On this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola are joined by Jennifer Sprague Hilderbrand and Doug Hilderbran...
We’re Using AMBER Alerts WRONG: The Alerting Authority Reality Check
In this Alerting Authority Reality Check, Eddie Bertola tackles a controversial question: Should AMBER Alerts really be sent statewide?Wireless Emergency Alerts were designed with geotargeting capabilities, yet many jurisdictions contin...
How Do We Know If an Emergency Alert Actually Works? | The Science of Warning Messages
How do we actually know whether an emergency alert works?In Part 1 of this special two-part episode of The Alerting Authority, Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola are joined by research scientist Dr. Hugh Walpole for a deep dive into ...
Earthquake Warning: The Seconds That Could Save Your Life
Earthquakes can strike without warning—but new technology can give you precious seconds to react.In this episode archived of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola break down USGS ShakeAlert, earthquake early...
AI Is Changing Emergency Alerts — Are We Ready? | Dr. Jessica Jensen
Artificial intelligence is already changing emergency management — but are we ready to trust it with alerts and warnings?On this episode of The Alerting Authority, Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola welcome Dr. Jessica Jensen, Senio...
Wildfire Evacuations: Why Your Emergency Plan Might FAIL
Wildfire evacuations can turn chaotic in minutes. So how do emergency managers know when to issue an evacuation order, who should leave first, and whether the roads can actually handle everyone trying to escape?In this episode of ...
CAPCOG 2026 Recap: The Biggest Alerting & Warning Lessons from Texas
What happens when emergency managers, public safety leaders, universities, public health officials, law enforcement, and alerting authorities from across Texas come together for two days of intensive training?In this episode of Th...
Crisis Communication, AI, and Public Trust: What Alerting Authorities Can Learn from Dr. Tim Coombs
What happens when emergency alerts fail, misinformation spreads, or organizations lose public trust during a crisis?In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Dr. W. Timothy Coom...
Wireless Emergency Alerts Explained with Rob Dale
What emergency managers see when they send an alert isn't always what the public receives.In this episode of Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton, Eddie Bertola, and special guest Rob Dale explore how Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) appe...
AI Taking Over? How AI is Changing the World of Alerting
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the way emergency managers, public information officers, and alerting authorities communicate with the public. But should we trust AI with emergency alerts and crisis communication?In this spe...
How Better Translations Could Save Lives During Disasters
In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Dr. Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, a leading researcher in multilingual risk communication and emergency alerts.Joseph shares his journey from immigrat...
From Disney to Disaster Response | The Story of Eddie Bertola
Who is Eddie Bertola?In this special episode of The Alerting Authority Podcast, Dr. Jeannette Sutton turns the tables and interviews co-host Eddie Bertola, one of the nation's leading experts on emergency alerts, AMBER Alerts, crisis co...
Right Message, Right Time: Martin Ritchey on Emergency Alerts, Texas Floods, IPAWS and Everbridge
How do emergency managers make sure the right people get the right message at the right time? In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Martin Ritchey, Director of Homeland Security at the Capit...
Walking Across England: 210 Miles on the Coast to Coast Trail | Travel, Hiking & Emergency Preparedness
What is it really like to walk across England?In this special episode of Alerting Authority, Dr. Jeannette Sutton shares the incredible story of hiking 210 miles across England on the legendary Alfred Wainwright Coast to...
Alerts, Cats, and Ice Cream: Getting to Know Jeannette Sutton
Who is Dr. Jeannette Sutton, and how did she become one of the most influential voices in emergency alerting and warning research?In this special episode of The Alerting Authority, co-host Eddie Bertola turns the tables and inte...
Alert Fails and Successes: Lessons from Hawaii, Texas Blue Alerts, Amber Alerts, and Wildfire Evacuations | Alerting Authority Podcast
What makes an emergency alert effective—and what causes public confusion, panic, or frustration? In this episode of The Alerting Authority, emergency communication experts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola analyze some of the most memorable em...
What Every Emergency Manager Needs to Know About Alerting and Warnings
What separates good emergency alerts from life-saving emergency alerts?In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Thomas Walmsley, Director of Emergency Management for Bernalill...
5 Essential Elements Every Emergency Management Agency Needs
Emergency alerts and warnings can save lives—but only when organizations have clear, effective policies guiding their decisions. In this episode of The Alerting Authority podcast, emergency communication experts Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie B...
How Colleges Handle Emergency Alerts for 60,000+ People | Campus Safety & Crisis Communication
In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Stuart Moffatt, Director of Emergency Management at the University of Utah, to explore the unique challenges of campus emergency communication, pu...
AMBER Alerts Explained: How They Work, Why They Matter, and How Better Messaging Saves Lives
In this powerful and deeply informative episode of Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola break down everything you need to know about AMBER Alerts: how they work, why they’re issued, and how effecti...
The Truth About False Alarms & Emergency Warnings | Alerting Authority Podcast
What happens when people stop trusting emergency alerts? Do “false alarms” actually make communities less safe—or is the problem more complicated than we think?In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and ...
From 9/11 to FEMA IPAWS: Jen Meyers on Emergency Alerts, Alert Fatigue & Public Trust in Crisis
In this powerful episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with emergency communications expert Jen Meyers to explore the evolving world of emergency alerts, FEMA IPAWS, public warning systems, and cri...
Why Emergency Alerts Fail: Craig Fugate on Public Warning Mistakes - Alerting Authority Rewind
This episode is a rewind from our very first premiere of The Alerting Authority.In this debut conversation, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate for a candid, no-nonsense look at ...
Inside New York’s Missing Persons Alert Overhaul with Tim Williams
How do you write a missing persons alert that actually gets the public to respond?In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Tim Williams, Program Manager of the New York State Mi...